Web & E-commerce · Quick tip · May 20, 2024

A Practical E-commerce Checkout Friction Audit

Find avoidable friction by testing checkout on real devices and reviewing each step from cart to confirmation.

Illustration for A Practical E-commerce Checkout Friction Audit
Putting ideas into practice
Web & E-commerce · Quick tip · May 20, 2024

Find avoidable friction by testing checkout on real devices and reviewing each step from cart to confirmation.

  • ecommerce checkout
  • conversion rate optimization
  • online store UX
  • checkout testing

Walk through as a first-time customer

Test guest checkout, address entry, shipping options, payment failure, and confirmation on a phone. Note surprise fees, forced account creation, and fields that do not match the task.

Illustration for A Practical E-commerce Checkout Friction Audit
Web & E-commerce

Web & E-commerce

Thoughtful decisions compound over time.

Practical product work brings technical choices back to the people and workflows they are meant to serve.

Make errors recoverable

Keep entered information when validation fails, explain how to fix the problem, and avoid generic payment errors where a safe next step is available. Ensure confirmation clearly states what happens next.

Prioritise with evidence

Use analytics and customer support themes to identify the most common drop-off points. A checkout review can turn observations into a ranked list of low-risk improvements.

Practical application

Complete a purchase on a phone using a new account and a returning account. Record each required field, keyboard type, validation message, payment failure path, and surprise cost; prioritise issues that block completion or force repeated entry.